A Pep Talk for Being Human

seeing color...

Hello,

So far 2024 has been challenging, a physical and emotional rollercoaster. Am I allowed to use that analogy even if I avoid actual rollercoasters? I know there are those who thrill at clickety cresting and plunging drops, but you’ll always find me on terra firma (with a calm and settled tummy.) But none of us can escape the highs and lows of everyday life. I know I need a pep talk — maybe you do as well. I decided to name things that lift me up when circumstances start to wear me down. Here’s my list of everyday delights:

1. Bearded iris (all of them)

2. The optimism of spring and garden fresh salads

3. Generous plant-loving neighbors

4. Rhubarb

5. The dusky pink breasts of house finches returning to nest in the front garden like they do every year

6. Those who call to “check on me” when things are …

7. The soundtrack of the Littles (on repeat): “hey Nana” “hey Nana” “hey Nana”

8. Black coffee every morning with my husband

9. Books (so many books)

10. Making new friends 6 1/2 decades into this life

11. A reunion and a clenching hug

12. Cabin time, sleeping outdoors, decades of friendship, and lots of M&Ms

13. Dusk at 9:20 pm

14. Color, always

15. Connecting with others online and in real time

I’m so glad you’re here,

xo Lorene

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Coloring

May 22, 2024

Geological time. Worn smooth. Blushed and shot with glinting minerals.

These rocks live on a windowsill in my office where they are a reminder to feel the heft, marvel at the nuance, and keep on keeping on.

May 23, 2024

A much coddled sprig of lemon balm brought home from my daughter’s garden so that I could paint its portrait.

I have a much more forgiving attitude toward the garden since I switched from growing “vegetables” to instead focusing on harvesting flavor. The pressure for maximum yield is off — the challenge is to be present to peak delicious.

May 24, 2024

Summer stoop styling, and by ‘styling’ I mean ‘buying plants.’ This year’s display on the back stoop is brought to you by uncommon shades of fuchsia, pink, lavender, orchid and related hues. Don’t you just love it when colors are named for plants — or is it the other way around?

Only in the company of others does this rather loud petunia makes perfect sense, at least that’s so in my colorful world.

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May 25, 2024

Immortalizing a sprig of Portuguese laurel snapped off in the Costco parking lot. Even when I’m doing banal errands, life is a constant visual safari

May 26, 2024

Chasing color. Daring to go deeper. Deeper still — then everything goes flat. Proving once again, and again and again, that Mother Nature does it best.

May 27, 2024

Change… Not always comfortable but sometimes you find hidden hues.

May 28, 2024

A couple of years ago I began to break up the customary grid of my daily color study — somebody referred to them as my “rough edges.” That felt right — we’ve all got rough edges, why not celebrate them. However, recently whenever I depart from the grid, I feel unsettled. It’s a physical reaction, almost fearful, way outside my comfort zone. And so I retreat to the familiarity of a grid.

When I think of it, to grid or not to grid is the tightrope between comfort and unsettled that we all walk day after day. It’s not binary. Life is a mix of highs and lows, tension and release, comfort and discomfort. Or, to fall back on a tidal analogy that I so often return to, ebb and flow. 

Quick story: Our family moved near the beach when our daughter was almost two. Every time I drove by the shore I’d remark on the tide, out loud. I still do this, it’s like putting a pin in a map, only in this case I’m clocking a point in time. After a while, whenever we’d drive by the beach my darling daughter would sing out “Hi tide!” I love that so much — greeting nature on a first name basis. 

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Connect & Learn

Check out how we can connect on Creativebug, an online learning platform for creatives.

Garden Journaling: Discover different approaches to keeping garden records, from dreaming big to tracking daily tasks.

Color In and Out of the Garden: A daily practice. Explore 31 ways of using color focus attention and cultivate mindfulness.

Cultivate a Colorful Life Collection: Browse this collection of 10 classes and more than 20 hours of color-centric demos and tutorials.

An Artist’s Story: My recent blog post on Creativebug exploring the origin of my daily color practice.

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